Biography
Awake & Alert was formed in January 2004 from members who have all dabbled in some past musical projects (Fightshy, October's First Hero, Transistor Lament, El Oso Negro, Strickland). Maya Peart known locally for her soulful vocals and warm, rich solo acoustic set has ventured into the more experimental and rock driven instrumentation of Tony Reed (drums), Blake Kimball (guitars), and Spencer Reed (bass), adding a dimension of vocal melodies they had long been searching for. Achieving a unique sound all to their own, Awake&Alert quickly created a buzz with their live set.
In January 2005 A&A self released the "Weight" EP. receiving praise reviews, it was named by Get Out Magazine as "The Best Local Rock Release" of 2005
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"On their debut EP, Awake & Alert creates a lovely, dreamy atmosphere, boosted by surprisingly complicated arrangements and lead singer Maya Peart's lush vocals. The group skillfully tows the line between irresistible pop rock and more challenging motifs, arriving at a quasi-electronica that doesn't get stale. From tracks like rocking opener "Halos" to the emotional, titular closer, the band displays a depth and range that leaves the listener eager for a full-length. The top-notch production from local hit maker Bob Hoag gives the disc a rich sound and texture that gives extra weight (pun not entirely intended) to already heavy numbers such as "Wool and Water." Certain overindulgences are present, such as the minute worth of feedback at the end of "Exequias," but youthful indiscretions are excusable when the music is this good. In just six songs, Awake & Alert have done something extremely difficult for any band, local or otherwise - craft a sound all their own. A-"
-by Albert Ching, Get Out
Awake And Alert should appeal to anyone who likes female fronted rock bands. And for those of you who shy away from woman rock there just might be enough here for you to latch onto. The best thing about Awake and Alert is that they sound different. Maya has a great voice and the band has the dexterity to back up this moody and diverse singer.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.